Fluctuations of the Real Exchange Rate, Real Interest Rates, and the Dynamics of the Price of Gold in a Small Open Economy

Economic theory predicts that, in a small open economy, the dynamics of the real price of gold should be linked to real interest rates and the rate of change of the real exchange rate. Using data for Australia, we use a real-time forecasting approach to analyze whether real interest rates and the rate of change of the real exchange rate help to forecast out-ofsample the rate of change of the real price of gold. We study the economic value-added of out-of-sample forecasts using a behavioral-finance approach that takes into account that a forecaster may have an asymmetric loss function.